Sunday 06/29/2008 Burning

2:30 AM: Prior to this time there was no smoke (went to sleep around 1:30 AM). Somebody started burning around this time. Yes, someone was burning wood at 2:30 in the morning! Maybe somebody getting back from the bar decided to burn some wood. I had to get up out of bed and close the windows! The wind was gusty and the stench of burning wood was strong. It had to be someone pretty close by with the smokiness that strong. I stepped out the back door and looked around. I did not see any glowing or flickering from flames. I have no idea who was doing it.

It was about 63 degrees outside at that time. I probably was not the only one around here with my windows open (I can see the neighbor's window open). A cool summer night is perfect for having the windows open, except around here.

Do you like waking up in the middle of the night to the stench of burning wood? I don't know anyone who would answer 'yes' to that question.

Not even in the wee hours of the morning are we free from the stench of smoke. Leave the windows open at your own risk.

5:00 AM: Air is clear and fresh. Ahhh! I'll take a deep breathe and enjoy every bit of that fresh air because in a few hours somebody will start burning again. If not by noon, definitely by 12 hours from now.

7:00 PM: Up until this point I noticed no burning. At this time the guy down the street who burns every day burned for about an hour. It was very smoky. Instead of the usual wind pattern blowing east, the wind was blowing south, so I did not smell any of his burning at all. Today must have been my lucky day.

8:30PM: Another neighbor to the northwest started burning. I can't see through the trees and foliage, but their backyard was smoky. I only experienced a light smokiness at this time. Still, it isn't fresh air, which I should be able to breathe!

9:00 PM: I left at this time and was out of the city.

10:00 PM: On my way back home I made a detour to pass by Silver Lake. It was smoky all along the west and south side of the lake. I decided to go down 18th Ave. Unbelievably smoky over here! The smoke was overpowering. It was so smoky I felt nauseous. My stomach turned. For a minute I felt like I was going to vomit all over myself. I developed a mild headache from the polluted air. There was a very strong pocket of smokiness on 18th between Henry and Charles. This was the strongest. There was another pocket of smokiness on 18th closer to Margaret. The smoke from recreational burning is bad where I live, but in that area it is even worse! I don't know how those people can stand to live over there. I did not notice any homes with their front windows open. It's not hard to figure out why, is it?

By the time I got home I could not tell if it was smoky where I am. My sense of smell was impaired by the strong smoke on 18th Ave. My nose was irritated and burning. I could not smell much of anything.

I am not joking about this and am not exaggerating in the least.

11:00 PM: My sense of smell is starting to return. I took a step out the back door and can't really say I detected smoke. It didn't smell like fresh air, either. My sense of smell may not be fully back to normal.

I guess I'll have to sleep with the windows closed again. You never know who is going to burn at 2:30 AM and smoke up your bedroom.